Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The Part-Time Bet
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Han Aebom's face crumpled up completely. And I mean crumpled, literally. Would you believe it if I said the girl who had looked like Heidi herding sheep on the meadow just moments ago had suddenly turned into a demon?
"Today... I couldn't find one."
"Today? To-da-a-a-ay?"
Oh Hana was the sociable type. If I had to sum her up in one word, she'd be an "in-crowd" girl who got along with everyone.
The popular ones were great at livening up the mood on ordinary days. But when they set their minds to it, they were the best at getting under someone's skin. Even I, watching from the sidelines, found it infuriating—imagine how Han Aebom felt.
"Hee hee hee, that's how it is today! Isn't it refreshing to be honest for once? To be frank, I was pretty sure you wouldn't land one, Aebom."
Stop it, Hana.
Don't poke at Han Aebom anymore. Right before my eyes, her cheeks flushed red, then her whole face, and her body started trembling.
Seeing that, Oh Hana flailed her arms around the cramped one-room apartment, cackling nonstop. That was a talent in itself.
'First impressions, the first button...'
Every time I watched Oh Hana and Han Aebom, those words popped into my head. Or maybe not? Perhaps those two would have ended up like this regardless of first impressions or getting off on the right foot.
"Hee hee hee, you think it's easy to find a part-time job with a personality like yours? You probably only checked out some shady places, got scared, and came right back."
Sharp analysis. Well, I had thought the same thing, actually.
"Hmmm, if you apologize to me now and ask nicely, I might even help you find one. We're going to be living under the same roof anyway—don't you want to avoid any awkwardness? Ho ho ho!"
I swear I heard a snap, like the thread of reason breaking. Was that my imagination?
"You trashy bitch."
"...Huh?"
"I never thought I'd stoop to using words like this! You trashy bitch, that's what I said!"
I never imagined I'd hear dialogue straight out of a drama in real life. Trashy bitch? I wasn't even sure what it meant exactly—just that it was a nasty insult.
"Ha? Tr-trash... trashy?"
Oh Hana seemed thrown off, probably hearing the phrase for the first time in her life, but soon her face turned beet red too. In a way, Han Aebom was Oh Hana's natural predator.
Crunch—the empty plastic cup in Oh Hana's hand crumpled. Thud—the book in Han Aebom's hand slammed shut roughly.
As if on cue, they glared at each other like they wanted to kill. Han Aebom spoke first.
"Don't worry about me!! I'll have a part-time job by tomorrow!!"
Eh?
"Ha?! Go ahead? Go right ahea-ea-ea-ad? Why? I have this gut feeling you won't land one even by tomorrow! Wanna bet on it?!"
"A bet? Fine! Let's do it! Let's bet!"
Excuse me? Han Aebom? I'm the one who was supposed to help you find a job. If you push the story along like this all of a sudden...
"Alright then. What should the stakes be? What would be good?"
Oh Hana must not have thought that far ahead in her sudden enthusiasm for a bet. But then a great idea seemed to hit her, and the corners of her mouth curved up smugly.
"Alright? If I win, you have to take a bath with Hyunwoo oppa."
"Wh-what?!"
No, seriously, what?
Both Han Aebom and I jumped in shock, but Oh Hana just grinned like a little devil and pressed on.
"Come on, it's not that big a deal, right? You just wash up together and done. How long could it take? They even have mixed bathing in Japan, you know?"
That's Japan.
And even in Japan, those mixed baths were mostly for elderly folks these days, as far as the world knew.
'No way Han Aebom would accept something like that...'
I tried to regain my composure, confident in that thought, when I spotted a girl biting her lip hard.
"F-fine! Deal!"
Great for you, my ass, you idiot. Not that I mind.
"Then if I win, you take down half the bromides on the wall. They're an eyesore."
"No, that's impossible."
Zero hesitation in her refusal.
"What? You can't even do that much?"
"It's not about that! It's my life!"
Yeah. From Oh Hana's perspective, she basically defined herself by her fandom, so those bromides were practically her lifeline.
"I suggested something doable, but you're telling me to die? Can you just up and die like that?!"
"What are you talking about? That doesn't even make sense! And stop slipping into informal speech! You're overreacting about a few photos!"
"A few photos?! This is my life!"
"You're impossible!"
Even watching from the sidelines, I felt like I was losing my mind. Girls...
"At least suggest something feasible. Huh?"
Huh?
Her echoing "huh?" was annoyingly perfect.
"Then what am I supposed to ask for...?"
"......"
Man, Han Aebom was really taking this seriously. Well, it would be weird not to get worked up over a bet fueled by emotions. But separately, she was just way too intense about everything.
"Hey, agonizing over the stakes like that is kinda scary from my side? Just let me decide. Geez, can't you even pick something simple? Bets like this are supposed to be lighthearted, something that embarrasses the loser a bit—that's plenty."
Oh Hana was right.
She'd gotten fired up and proposed the bet, but it still felt half-playful to her. Han Aebom, on the other hand, was treating it like life or death. Personality differences, I guess.
"Something like, hmm, yeah. If I lose, maybe I'll do a naked handstand or write your name with my butt cheeks naked in front of you?"
She suggested it herself and blushed like she was the one excited about it.
"Are you some kind of pervert?"
"Who knows? Anyway, that's the vibe for a bet. It's not gambling where you take each other's lives. Just enough to savor the thrill of victory. Anything more crosses the line."
Oh Hana really loved her "lines."
Honestly, her stalking antics made me think she'd already crossed plenty, but on the other hand, she did seem to stick to her own boundaries. She'd wanted to bring drinks but held back to avoid being a nuisance.
"Fine, something like that then."
"You're so full of it."
"More than you? And quit shortening your speech like that. Bad habit."
"Mind your own business."
They bickered on, but Oh Hana seemed more lively than when it was just us two. She started to say something else to Han Aebom but shut her mouth smoothly.
I noticed it from the side, but Han Aebom wouldn't have. That alone showed what a good person Oh Hana was.
I was more curious about what she'd almost said, though.
Anyway.
Han Aebom's glare at me stung quite a bit.
[Find Part-Time Jobs at Novel Part-Time!]
The Store Manager's glare at me stung too.
"Hey, you punk!"
Thwack—like a bolt from the blue.
"Ow! Why smack the back of my head out of nowhere?! I thought my eyes were gonna pop out!"
The Store Manager yelled at me.
"Punk, I told you to get a real job! A real job! Don't look for other part-time gigs. Look, I can't pay you an insane wage or anything, but at least some rice cake money... Ah."
"Ah."
The mention of rice cake money jogged my memory belatedly. He hadn't given anything for New Year's, had he? Not that I couldn't understand his situation.
"Still, it was New Year's— you could've at least given a 50,000-won gift card."
"...Hey, kid! The expired stuff you've taken home alone..."
He trailed off, embarrassed mid-sentence, then pulled his wallet from the beat-up clutch bag he'd been about to take home after his shift. He flashed it— not a single 10,000-won bill inside.
Then he pulled out a card.
"Pay for four packs of smokes right now."
"Sweet. Thanks."
Truth be told, that scene had made my chest ache for his situation, but what could I do? Taking it when offered was a skill too.
Beep beep beep—I processed the payment, but the Store Manager grabbed my wrist for a second.
"Three packs... Nah, just do four."
"Give generously like a man, Manager. And thanks! Better late than never—Happy New Year!"
"You punk... Anyway, seriously looking for other part-time work? Nights are tough, right?"
I answered calmly.
"Nah, it's not for me. I know someone who's pretty passive, so I'm helping her out. Oh, Manager, know any decent openings? Something with minimal chit-chat with others. She's meticulous and a stickler for rules—should handle anything you throw at her fine."
"You punk! You should've led with that! Cough up the smokes!"
"Come on, that's separate from this. And you smacked my head—you nearly made my eyes pop!"
"Oh yeah?! Stick it out here. I'll make 'em pop for real."
The Store Manager joked around with me like always before saying,
"I'd kill for a spot like that myself. But Hyunwoo."
"Yeah."
After smacking his lips a few times, he spoke carefully.
"It's good you're looking out for others, but how about you? Gotta prep for job hunting. Upper-half recruitment season's coming up soon."
"Ah... Yeah, I'm doing what I can."
Lying made my chest tighten for no reason. Especially since he meant well—it hurt more. Because I hadn't done a damn thing yet.
The Store Manager smirked at my words. Then smacked the back of my head again.
"Pfft! Yeah, kid. You're young— it'll work out somehow. Worst case, stick around our store another year. Customers like you more than you think, and weirdos stay away."
"You mean I'm a pushover?"
"Punk. If you were just a pushover, the crazy Karens would swarm. They trust you, is what I mean."
"Thanks for the kind words."
"Don't smoke too much."
"For a smoker, I don't. Heh heh, I'll enjoy what you gave me."
"Alright. Heading out. Good work."
"You too, Manager."
Ding-a-ling—the bell rang as I watched the Manager's back recede into the distance. No 10,000-won bills in his wallet, nagged daily by his wife the moment he got home until his face shrank to half-size. Still, he was a far better person than me.
Worked nights till closing, came in mornings, took a short lunch break, then worked evenings again.
The epitome of a family man and dad, I guess.
Compared to him, I...
"Sigh."
I let out a small sigh and glanced at the corner of the convenience store counter. There sat a dusty TOEIC book and a computer programming certification workbook.
Tsk—I smacked my lips and scrolled through part-time job sites again. Pretty familiar motions by now.